Ladies of Luke - The Mother in Law

 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon Peter. Now Simon's mother in law was suffering from a high fever and they asked Jesus to help her. So He bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to minister to them.  

Luke 4:38-40

Just two short verses. We don't know much about this Mother In Law. We can infer from scripture that she either lived with her daughter and Peter or she was so ill that she was staying with her daughter during the illness. High fevers are scary things...even by today's standards.  A fever is the bodies was of saying that something is seriously wrong; but many times the fever in and of itself doesn't specifically identify the problem. It's a symptom. "They" asked Jesus to help her.  "They" - Peter and his wife would be the logical guess. It was likely that Peter was there to witness first hand when Jesus had cast demons and healed others, so this could be seen as a logical request. Next of course Jesus does His Jesus thing; He rebukes the fever and it leaves. And then the women - what - she gets up and ministers to them? What's that about?

The woman was dramatically healed. Jesus saw the symptom, the fever, but he healed the illness. Her immediate response was an act of worship. Not next week and not tomorrow - right now! Not a song. Not a dance. Worship. Service. Love and gratitude prompted her to action and obedience. God's restoration doesn't cause a her to be silent or still. She was compelled to honor God.

So what can this lady teach me. No fever for me today. I'm feeling just fine and looking pretty good thank you very much. But Wait. Just cause I look fine, does that really mean I am healthy? Sometimes there are things in my life that are symptoms of a deeper illness. A critical spirit, a stubborn opinion, a pre-conceived idea that something just wont meet my standard. Hey God, this is the way I want it. Why don't we do it that way, You can just join right in and bless the party. My pride, my standard, my idea.  Me. Me. Me. The name of my illness. Sin.

As God continues to extend His RADICAL grace to me, shouldn't my question really be...hey God, how can I honor you, worship you, and pay it forward for your will and your kingdom today?